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Most entrepreneurs want to scale one way — quickly. Indeed, a huge expansion seems to be indicative of company success, with the interest, products, and revenue to support such a move pointing to positive growth. Yet, when many entrepreneurs experience success early on, they sometimes scale too quickly, only to find that their abilities or finances can’t keep up to the pace that they thought they could.

To help you realize when this might be the case for your company, and what to do about it, we asked members of Forbes Coaches Council to jump into the conversation with their own ways to quickly and strategically scale back down with minimal damage. Here’s what they had to say:

Forbes Coaches Council members share their advice on scaling back your business when you've overextended your resources.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Share Openly With All Stakeholders

Entrepreneurs who face a financial crunch should share openly with all stakeholders, especially those who have a financial interest in the business. Let employees know what you did, why you did it, and before you ask for concessions, ask them for recommendations or ideas. That may motivate them to help you. It will certainly help others see the mistakes and know that you are trying to fix those now. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.

2. Get Objective Insights And Advice

If the real goal is to scale down (as opposed to just slowing down growth), hard decisions must be made about what to let go. The leadership that scaled too quickly is often too personal and, perhaps, financially invested in what has occurred to have clarity about the viability of the vision, the sufficiency of the existing strategic plan and what is and is not essential to execute the plan. - Sherrin Ross Ingram, International Center for Strategic Planning

To manage the growth of your company, manage cash flow. If you are upside down on your finances, review cash flow weekly to understand where the gaps are and solve them. Watch your AR, AP, inventory, and hiring like a hawk. Look for more ways for revenue to flow better to the bottom line. Make sure you have a cadence of incoming sales before increasing overhead. - Bobbie Goheen, Synthesis Management Group

4. Pivot For Cost-Effectiveness

Sometimes you have to pivot, evaluate your current situation and downsize to your current status. Learn what you can get rid of or find more cost-effective alternatives that will allow you to keep functioning. Look for areas where you don't need to have a body. Automate processes to cut costs. Know it is not a failure but a learning experience to forecast the highs and lows of your business. - Katrina Brittingham, VentureReady LLC

5. Consider A Season of ‘No’

Entrepreneurs like to say “yes.” They want to say “yes” to everything and often find themselves chasing after all the shining "yeses" that inspire them. However, one of the best tools for any startup is the ability to say “no.” Startups that have scaled too quickly should consider a season of “no.” This is a healthy boundary for a set block of time that enables the leader to stay on track. - Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience

6. Focus On The Customer's Journey

Early success can cause entrepreneurs to scale than fail before they have set the right pace for business growth. More funding, more employees and more customers are all indicators of positive change, yet taking on too much too soon undermines business stability. To strategically reverse course, entrepreneurs must sharpen their focus on the customer journey and pivot their resources accordingly. - Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence

7. Reconnect To Your Purpose

Often, leaders who are underfunded or overwhelmed have strayed from their purpose. Growth in too many directions is unfulfilling and unsustainable. It’s important to refocus on 1) what you do best, 2) whom you do it for and 3) why you do it. After you've refined and reclaimed your purpose, put your finances, talents, and energy there. - Lisa Zigarmi, The Consciousness Project, LLC

8. Balance Vision With Measured Execution

Successful entrepreneurs have both visionary and implementation skills. Visionary skills include curiosity, inquisitiveness, creativity, and imagination. Implementation skills include critical thinking and problem-solving. Both skill sets are needed to select the best ideas from the universe of good ideas. If you don't have both skill sets, look for someone who has the skills you are missing. - Ron Young, PAIRIN

9. Focus On The Ideal

Depending on your product or service offering, the "ideal" may be different. But determine who or what your ideal is. Then professionally withdraw from the less-than-ideal. If you are in a service industry, this may mean referring clients to another professional who serves their market. In a product industry, you may recommend an alternative product. - Brian Gorman, TransformingLives.Coach

10. Pause And Consolidate

Entrepreneurs work so hard to get where they are, and that first glimpse of runaway success can be extremely intoxicating! So when they scale too quickly, the best strategy is to pause and consolidate rather than scale back down again. Look to the market to see what's working, put structure and foundations in place and never compromise on customer service and product quality. Then ramp up again. - Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Leadership Academy

11. Find Ultimate Clarity

Start by asking these two questions: What one thing from my business brings me the most profitability? What one thing from my business brings me the most energy and joy? Leaders must first have clarity on the external and internal energy sources that are unique to their business model. Then work with a coach to ensure that you are playing at the highest level of your game moving forward. - Kamille Soler, The Ultimate LYFE

12. Re-Emphasize Your Foundation

Momentum can be positive but when things get out of control it’s time to get back to basics. Scaling too quickly may dilute what brought you success in the first place. Rein things in by focusing on strengthening core components of your business. Re-emphasize the values, products, and services central to your company to the point where your employees and customers trust you can deliver as promised. - Erik Fredrickson, Erik Fredrickson Coaching

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization comprised of leading business coaches and career coaches. Find out if you qualify at Forbes Councils.…

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization comprised of leading business coaches and career coaches. Find out if you qualify at Forbes Councils. Questions about an article? Email feedback@forbescouncils.com.